Towel or cloth holder



De. 28,194s. v L. L. RIFKEN 2,457,274

TOWEL OR CLOTH HOLDER Filed April 24, 194'? I INV'ENT0R. lozzzaL/t g fiew BY Patented Dec. 28, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOWEL R CLOTH HOLDER Louis L. Rifken, Elgin, 111.

Application April 24, 1947, Serial No. 743,635

This invention relates, in general, to holding devices, and has particular relation to'an improved towel or cloth holder.

Devices of this sort have been previously proposed in which there is a slitted resilent member which yields to receive a towel or the like and thereby to grip it. Such devices, however, have presented difficulties in securing the resilient member in place and have not permitted convenient removal and replacement of the resilient member, for example, for renewal thereof. Moreover, in certain of such prior proposals designed to overcome other diificulties the towel has .been insertable only from one side of the resilient member, the other side being enclosed and presented to the wall or other support to which the holder is attached.

One of the main objects of the presentinvention is to provide an improved form of device of the class described which shall be capable of permitting the towel or the like to be inserted from either side of the resilient member when the deviceis in place on the wall or other support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which no diiiiculty arises in mounting the slitted resilient member and in which this member may be conveniently removed and replaced, for example, for renewal thereof.

' Another object of the invention is toprovide a device in which the two base holders between which the slitted resilient member is positioned are detachably joined and the slitted resilient member held therebetween without screws or like attachment means; also a device adapted for convenient'attachment to the wall or other support and in which the two base holders are freed for separation and removal and replacement of the slitted resilient member by the simple expedient of detaching the device from the support. a

' Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a device in which the slitted resilient member is accurately located by a recess in one or more of the base holders, and in which the base holders have interengaging lugs holding them together with the slitted resilient member there'between when the device is attached to the wall or other support and permitting separation of the base holders for convenient removal and replacement of the slitted resilient member when the device is not attached to the support.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of device having various features of novelty and advantages, and which is particularly characterized by its simplicity in construc- 5 Claims. (Cl. 248314) tion, its economy in manufacture, and its 'efiectiveness in use. 7

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the manner of constructing and using an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one side of a device embodying the present invention, showing the same attached to a support and with a towel or the like held thereby;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showingfhow the device may be used from the other side:

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the inner side of one of the base holders in blank form and before bending the attachment and mounting lugs for use; and

Figure 5 is a side view of the slitted resilient member. i

Referring now to the drawing, the device selected for illustration comprises just three parts, i. e., the slitted disc I of rubber or other suitable resilient material and the two baseholder 2 between which the slitted resilient. disc I is secured.

The base holders 2, which are identical but reversed in assembling the device, may be in the form of sheet metal stampings, such as aluminum or the like, although the device may be formed of any other suitable or preferred material, such asa suitable plastic material or the like. When completely formed, as will presently appear, the base holders I'or at least the outer surfaces thereofmay be enameled or finished otherwise as desired.

Each member 2 has a pair of integral lugs 3 and 4, the lugs 4 being apertured as shown at 5. Each base holder 2 also has an opening 6, shown of circular form, although this may vary as may the configuration of the base holders 2. The inner surface of each base holder 2 has an annular recess 1 surrounding the opening 6, although this feature may'vary, for example, by forming the recess 1 in only one of the base holders 2. In Figure 4, one of the base holders 2 is shown from the inner side and in blank form before bending the attachment and mounting lugs 3 and 4.

The resilient member I is formed of rubber or other suitable resilient material. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the member l is of circular or disc form, but this may vary,

As shown in Figure 5, the disc or insert I has one or more slits 8, four of such slits being-shown,

although this may vary. The slits 8 radiate outwardlyv from the center of the disc rena -mew terminate at their outer ends-in holes}; In use the edges of the sector shaped portionsfreedby the slits 8 flex to receive the towel orthelike and to grip and hold the, same.

. -;lhe attachment lugs a are: bent to hook -li-he form as shown in Figure 3, and the mounting lugs, 45 are bent inwardlnto positiontat substantially-right angles'to the base holders 2 The deviceis assembled by the simple expedient of placing the rubber, rubber-like. or resilient disc I in opepf therecesses I, interengagingthe lugs- 3 with the adjacent peripheral portions of the opposite base holders and pressing the same together tp substantially thev positions shown in Eigures 1,-2, and 3. The device is adaptedto be mounted on a wall or other support it! (Figure 1) by placing the lugs t-against the support and, i or example,insertingscrews ll through apertures 5 and screwing them into theisupporte; it, is desired to suspenda towel l2 or. the like from the device, one end, or aportion of the towel, is thrust through the, disc or insert I, deformsdue, to its slitted portion, and gripsthe inserted'end orrportionrof the towelas shown in Figures 1 and 21 The towel is easily and quickly removed by merely pulling it from the device. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 each of'the opposite sides of the resilient disc Isis-exior use whenl-the' deviceis mounted on its support. Asa result, the device permitsithe towel or thellike to be inserted from either" the-device infplace'on its support. I v I The rubber disc or insert I'can be replacedfby the simple expedient. of unscrewing the two screws I.I attaching it to the support and'snap-v ping: the; two base holders 2- aparti ,IQIfEIieembodiment of the'nvent'on shown'in the drawing is for illustrativepurpcses only, and iflis'to be expressly understood that said drawin; andthe accompanying specification are not tofbeconstrued as a definition ofthe, limits or seeps or the invention, reference beingfhad to the appended claims for that purpose.

,lfi I, L Ina towel or cloth holder, of the class Idescribed, in combination, a pair of. similar base Holders having aligned openings; also",attach .jen t lug's adapted to be interengaged wi'th' the op ite holders and mounting lugs, and a re silientslitted member held petwee said base holders and adapted jto receive a" towel" inserted 4 through the opening at either side of the device and to grip the same.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the mounting lugs are disposed substantially diametrically opposite the interengaging attachment lugs and are turned laterally for attachment to a support.

3. In a towel or cloth holder of the class described in combination, a pair of similar base holders having aligned openings; also attachment lugs adapted to be interengaged with the opposite holders and mounting lugs, and a resilient slitted insert held between said base hold- -ersand -adapted to receive a towel inserted through the opening at either side of the device andtdgrip the same, each of said base holders having a recess surrounding the opening therein for receiving and positioning said resilient insert and said mounting lugs being disposed substantially diametrically opposite the interengaging attachmentlugs and turned inwardly across the adjacent portions of the opposite holders for attachment to a support;

4.v in a holding device of the class described, incombination, a frame having an opening therein, a resilient slitted member covering said opening, and secured in said frame with its slittecl por tion disposed within'said opening, and means on said irameat the edge thereof for mounting the firame edgewiseon a support with the frame extending edgewise irorn the support and disposed. substantially normal thereto whereby both sides of, the resilient slitted member are exposed to receive through-the opening in the frame and into the slitted portion of the resilient slitted member vfrom; either side of said resilient slitted member the article which is to be supported by said device.

In a holding device. of the class described, in combination, a frame having. an opening thereinwith. opposite side portions in spaced relation and extending around the periphery of said openin'g, a resilientsli tted member-covering said openingand. secured in said frame marginally between the spaced sides thereof, with its slitted portion disposed within said opening, and means on said frame at the edge thereof for mounting" the frame edgewise. on a support with the frame extending edgewise from the support and disposed substantially normal thereto whereby both sides of the resilient sl'itted. member are exposed to receive, through the opening in the frame and intothe slitted portion of. the resilient slitted member from either side of said resilient slitted memb r the article which is to be supported by s iccevice;

" LOUIS L. HIFKEN.

REFERENGES CITED .The iollowingrreferences are of record in the idleof this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v D'ate accrues Ayre et al. Aug. 18, was 

